The Endless Moment
by Paradoxicality
Summary: Tobias Stone; trapped forever in a single moment. People have moved on since his murder. But the Doctor is determined to solve the mystery and find the would-be killer, before it's too late and the time imps claim what is theirs.
1. Chapter 1

Tobias left the grand hallway, packed with people, and took a breath as he emerged into the marble entrance hall. It was silent; a bit cold, but a welcome contrast to the hustle behind the doors. Tobias looked around himself, the moon shimmering through the glass windows at the front of the palace and casting bright streaks of light across the floor. He loved the dark ruby of the marble. It summed up that feeling of warmth he got coming home; he remembered often sitting on the cold floor as a boy, playing with his toys whilst bored on a summer's afternoon. He undid his bow tie as the door behind him opened, noise spilling out. He turned around to see Matilda casually making her way out.

He stopped for a moment, admiring her beauty. She was dressed in a long, flowing, ivory gown, her dark hair cascading down the length of her back. How he had managed to find such an angel in human form he'd never know. The fact that she took his breath away every day was the reason he'd asked for her hand in marriage.

"What are you doing out here? Everyone's expecting us to act all regal like we own the place." She said, brushing his arm.

"We almost do." Tobias said, a smirk on his face, looking around the room.

"Don't talk like that Tobias. He's still your father, not just a bundle of money waiting to drop."

"I stopped caring years ago," Tobias absentmindedly scratched his neck. "Anyway, why did you come outside if we're in such high demand?"

"I wanted to show you something. Come on!" She said, smiling and immediately pushing the grand doors open to the courtyard.

Tobias grinned, amused by her ways, and jogged after her. The fountain was cascading outside, and the chill in the air took him by surprise at first. He pulled his dinner jacket tighter around himself, and jogged into the centre of the courtyard. He looked at the various exits and paths around him, but couldn't see Matilda, and so called out her name.

"Over here." She called, the wind carrying her voice from straight ahead.

Tobias assumed she'd gone over the bridge, to the fort on the other side. The night was peaceful, but the beauty of the stars above made everything seem magical. Tobias consciously slowed himself, the view of the endless sky above perfect from that height. He breathed the moment in, feeling at peace with the world.

Tobias Stone remembered turning around. He remembered the face; the eyes dark and resolute. He remembered the warm feel of hands against his chest, the force with which they came at him causing him to topple over the sides. He didn't remember hitting the floor, several feet below, because he never reached it. He never would. On the first night of summer, Tobias Stone was pushed from the bridge next to his family's palace, into a time anomaly, known as a time instance. There he will stay forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy held on tightly to the banisters as she cautiously descended the stairs into the TARDIS control room. "Doctor, what are you doing exactly? Most rollercoasters are better than this." She said, as the TARDIS swung and jerked from one side to another.

"I'm not sure exactly. But, I'm perfectly in control, don't you worry."

Amy manoeuvred her way to the main console and grabbed the edge. "You're not, are you?"

"No, course not. Aha!" He tapped his monitor which was blinking with various glowing dots. "Something, or someone is hijacking us. Using the TARDIS to get to wherever they want to go."

"And who are they exactly?" Amy said, as she was thrown backwards into the railings.

"Haven't a clue, Pond. But..." The TARDIS made one last jolt, and let out a deep hum as it came to a halt. "Now that I've landed her we should be able to go out and see. Come along." The Doctor said, casually skipping out of the TARDIS, offering a hand to Amy on his way out, who was now splayed across the floor.

"Where are we?" Amy asked, peering out of the door and past the Doctor.

"I'd quite like to know too."

They'd landed near a busy marketplace. The streets were paved with cobblestones, which were barely visible above the grime and muck of the place. Everything seemed bright and breezy in spite of the dirt, with villagers passing by, carrying baskets and bags full of various food stuffs. They were all dressed in archaic clothing; long dresses and hats, breeches and waistcoats. It reminded Amy of pictures she'd seen of the lower class in the 18th century. The three suns in the sky suggested to her they hadn't travelled back in time, however.

The Doctor was knelt down, sniffing at some dirt. Amy had come to find this commonplace by now. "Traces of tynine in the soil, oxygen rich air with equal parts brium and bozium, large castle in the distance," The Doctor had spun around, and was peering past the TARDIS. Amy followed his view, and stood, amazed at this castle that rose gracefully from the ground ahead of them. It was almost magical, with several towers protruding into the sky, stain glass windows beaming out colours and several birds, not dissimilar to doves, perched on the roofs.

"A very large castle." Amy managed to add.

"Three stars, all equal size...flying horses!" The Doctor exclaimed, cutting short his evaluation of his surroundings, to run up to a man leading his horse past market stalls. The horse wasn't flying as such, more gliding a few inches above the ground, a blue glow emerging from its shoes.

"You beautiful girl you," The Doctor said, gently stroking the horse, who responded affectionately. Amy walked up behind, staring at the horse's hooves in disbelief. "Anti-gravity horse-shoes. A Martinal breed, am I correct?" The Doctor asked the horse's owner.

"Yes sir, finest in the land." He responded.

"These graceful things weigh anything up to ten tonnes- if they walked on the ground, they'd break the stone. They're fitted with anti-gravitational pads from birth. Luckily on only one planet in the known galaxy. Or at least the only one to have a honking big castle on it too." The Doctor said, giving the horse one final stroke before walking back towards the TARDIS.

"You've worked out where we are because of the type of horses? First time for everything, I guess." Amy said.

"We're on Paladium. Great planet, slightly medieval vibe, hence the palace and the paupers."

"Aren't you forgetting the little matter of the thing that piggybacked a ride here?" Amy asked, tapping the TARDIS.

"Ah yes!" The Doctor changed his stance, carefully inspecting every side of the TARDIS. When he got to the back, he stopped, stared into the distance, and wandered off towards the castle. Amy watched him in confusion, before realising what he'd seen, and jogging to catch him.

Directly below the castle grounds, next to a bridge connecting the main palace to a fort on the other side was a falling man. Amy had half expected to find an unfortunate mess by the time she'd got there, but a double look as she caught the Doctor up made her realise the man wasn't falling, but frozen in place. His arms were still up in the air, his coat caught upwards in a breeze, his hair slightly dishevelled. He was about ten feet above the ground, encased in some sort of bubble. The Doctor stood below him, and immediately started scanning with his sonic screwdriver. Amy stared in amazement, first at the man stopped in time, then at the fact that people were casually walking past, undeterred, as if this was an everyday occurrence.

"Doctor what's happened to him?" Amy asked.

"He's caught in a time instance; a small area where time doesn't exists, it doesn't flow in the same way as out here. Like a dead zone."

"Well, what can you do?"

"I don't think there is anything I can do. He's frozen forever."


	3. Chapter 3

"Is this what hijacked the TARDIS then?" Amy asked, peering around the floating bubble.

"No, no, something else. Connected to this, no doubt, but he's been like this for a while." The Doctor said, staring intently at his sonic screwdriver.

"How can you tell?"

"Watch," The Doctor looked around himself, and bent down to pick up a leaf. "Time has started to build up around the instance. Think of it like placing a large stone in a fast flowing river; the water will hit the sides of the stone, and then carry on travelling normally." He carefully held the leaf above his head, touching the base of the bubble. Amy watched as the leaf became brown, decayed, and then disintegrated into nothing. The Doctor brought his hand down and dusted away what remained of the leaf.

"Time is accelerating around it. It caused the leaf to age a few months in a matter of seconds. So don't go touching it, OK? It's won't kill you, but touch it long enough and it'll take a good few years off of your life."

"So that's what makes you think he's been here for a while?"

"Yeah. I'd say three Earth years maybe...four years on Palladium. Not too long, but clearly long enough for everyone to stop caring." The Doctor said, looking about himself.

The Doctor walked in front of a nearby man with a scraggily beard. "Excuse me, could you..." Before he had time to ask, the man simply shook his head and walked off.

"Let me try," Amy said. "Excuse me sir!" She pulled a tall, middle aged gentleman to one side.

"Yes?"

"Could you tell us what happened to this man?" She asked, looking up to the bubble. When she looked back, the man had walked off.

"Clearly a sore topic." The Doctor thought aloud, bending his head to see the falling man from a different angle. Amy followed suit.

"His name is Tobias Stone," Came a voice from behind them. They both turned around to see a small, busty lady approach them. Her hair was greying, and her apron and face were smudged with black soot. "No-one really likes to talk about it. A tragic accident we're forced to never forget." She wiped her hand in her apron before offering it to the Doctor and then Amy.

"I'm the Doctor and this is my friend Amy."

"Betty Swan, pleased to meet you. You two obviously aren't from around here. I'm the local blacksmith; I make the finest hover-shoes for miles. P'raps you heard of me?" She asked eagerly.

"Uh, sure, the famous Betty Swan, how could we not have?" The Doctor exclaimed.

"So how did this happen?" Amy asked.

"Oh, no one knows dear. The night of his engagement party he was pushed from that bridge."

"Pushed? How can you be so sure?" Amy asked, looking back at Tobias.

"Well he's facing upwards. He'd be looking down if he'd jumped."

"True, but he could have tripped."

"Too many people had marked his card, my dear," Betty shook her head mournfully. "Don't get me wrong, he weren't the nasty type, but his family are all a bit...shady."

"And who are his family?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, the Stones, obviously. He was the eldest son, heir to this here kingdom."

"So the Stone family are like, royalty?" Amy asked.

"I guess you could put it like that. That's their castle; her lady, Miriam Stone, and her husband Albert live there. Then their son, Anthony, who was Tobias' younger sibling, lives in the fort off to side. 'Tween you and me, he's a bit of a creepy one. Lives in the dark, never really comes out."

"What about Tobias' bride-to-be?"

"Matilda Black. Ever since the incident she lives down here, in the slums. The Stone family blame her; they think she killed him to take his money."

"Quite the murder mystery then," The Doctor said, stroking an imaginary beard. "Who do you think did it Betty?"

Betty came in close. The Doctor and Amy instinctively leant inwards, as if gossiping about someone. "Well, personally, I think-"

And just like that Betty disappeared into a puff of blue smoke. Amy looked around herself, and then at the Doctor in confusion.

"Was that...supposed to happen? I mean, do they do that around here?" She asked.

"Nope. That is definitely new." The Doctor bent down and observed the blue scorch marks Betty had left by her sudden disappearance.

"Can you smell that? It's like...really sugary candy floss." Amy said, sniffing wildly. The Doctor looked up and took a breath in.

"Of course! Time imps!" He exclaimed, leaping up. He immediately started off, back towards the TARDIS. Amy ran behind.

"Explain." She demanded.

"Time imps; they take pieces of time and copies of events and create their own timeline, mainly for the fun of it. Not normally in this way, but it's not out of their capacities. They must have used the TARDIS as a way back in, but why haven't they taken Tobias? And why did they take Betty instead?" The Doctor asked himself.

Amy came to a stop near a market stall she recognised from earlier.

"And, uh, where's the TARDIS?"

The Doctor stopped too, and looked around. "Oh. Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "Time imps are blind; they don't see, they smell, they smell out the things that are coursing with time energy. Now, normally, it's a simple matter of sniffing out what smells strongest, that being the moment they want to take, but in this case-"

"They smelt and took the TARDIS." Amy finished.

"Right. But the TARDIS would've been too strong for them; it would've zapped their energy."

"So?"

"So now they can only take things with not that much time energy and build their way back up."

"Starting with Betty?"

"And working their way through the town. One by one, everyone in this place will be taken."


	4. Chapter 4

Amy looked around her. Every so often one more person would vanish in a puff of blue fog, but no one around them seemed to bat an eyelid.

"Why aren't people running around screaming?" Amy asked.

"Because the imps change time ever so slightly around what they take. Can you imagine what would happen if people noticed that a whole period of their timeline had suddenly disappeared?"

"So it's like the cracks? Time is rewritten around them; people forget they existed, but we still see it."

"Kind of. The time imps aren't quite as clinical. There are still traces left of the person; they still existed. Just, for now, no one really notices they've gone. Temporary memory wipe, if you will," The Doctor strode off towards the castle. "Which is why we need to find out who pushed Tobias before he's taken and forgotten about."

The two clambered up a series of old, weed-covered steps to the left of the road, which led up to the fort. It was the size of an average house, with slit windows and dark grey bricks. No light seemed to get in or out, but a soft melody caught Amy's ears. It was slow and gentle; bittersweet almost. She gestured towards the fort, and the Doctor stopped to listen himself, before knocking on the large rotten door. After waiting for an answer led to no avail, the two slowly pushed the door open. Sat at a towering organ to the right of the room was a smartly dressed man. He seemed to only just be in his twenties, and had shoulder length dark hair. The melody appeared to have hypnotised him just as much as the Doctor and Amy, as he failed to turn around, even after several throat-clearings from the Doctor. They waited patiently, both slightly mesmerised, until, at last, the man played one final gentle note, and stared out of the tiny window ahead of him.

"That was beautiful." Amy said weakly.

The man turned around harshly. He looked the pair up and down before turning back to look outside.

"Clearly not from around here." He said in a monotone voice.

"No, we're just passersby. What was that song?" Amy asked, looking around the dank room. There were several chairs huddled in one corner, and a bookcase, but not much else to speak of.

"It's called 'Symphony of a Knight'. My mother came up with the name; it's dedicated to my brother, apparently the last thing he wrote."

"Your brother being Tobias Stone, I presume." The Doctor asked, approaching the man.

"Perceptive. Yes, I'm Anthony, the 'other one'." He said bitterly, putting out a hand towards the Doctor.

"This is Amy, and I'm the Doctor. We saw your brother when we arrived. We're so sorry for your loss."

"Everyone is," Anthony turned to look at the Doctor. "Doctor, is it wrong that the first thing I did when I heard about Tobias was laugh? I...didn't cry, I didn't zone out- I laughed. And I don't know why." He turned back to look out the window. Amy raised her eyebrows at the Doctor.

"So it wasn't you who did it?" Amy asked.

"There were days when I hated the man, despised him; heir to throne, a beautiful beau and a revered warrior. But what would throwing him off a bridge get me? A kingdom if dear old daddy snuffed it- great."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Anthony began pressing a key in an arrhythmic timing.

"So you say Tobias wrote that song? Did you often play his music?" The Doctor asked. He seemed genuinely interested.

"That was our thing; he'd write the pieces, I'd play them. But so long as it had Tobias' name on, there might as well have been a monkey sat here. You know, they found this piece scrawled on a napkin next to his body, floating alongside him. They say he probably wrote it earlier in the night. But I think he knew he was going to die. He had to get one last blow in, one more thing to overshadow me with. Now at every social occasion I'm dragged out like the performing ape I am to play this song. **His** song." Anthony jammed his fingers down on several keys. Amy jumped back a little, startled.

"Do you by any chance know where his fiancée, uh, Matilda lives now? We were told she was ousted by your family."

Anthony chuckled to himself. "Ah, Tilly. You know, I hope she was the one who did it. How wonderful that would be," He took a moment to compose himself. "She lives just past the market, in a small house off to the side. Mother made her move back with her decrepit family."

"Your mother sounds like a dream." Amy said sarcastically.

"Wait until you meet my father." Anthony returned.

Amy and the Doctor left, not bothering to say goodbye to the embittered young man.

"Jealousy, eh?" The Doctor said as the door closed behind them.

"I don't think it was him. Like you say, he's envious, and I think he even wishes he'd done it, but he's the type to moan rather than act." Amy theorised as they went down the steps.

"I don't know. The biggest night of his brother's life. All the attention focused on Tobias while he was no doubt dragged out to play a few songs in the background. Jealousy, Amy. Jealousy."


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor knocked on a small wooden door. He looked behind him as he awaited an answer, and saw two more people disappear, taken by the imps. He sighed and turned back.

"Don't tell me- you forgot your keys and-" A woman said, stopping as she opened the door and observed who was there. "Oh. Um, sorry, thought you were, uh...sorry, who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is Amy. Are you Matilda?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah," She replied hesitantly, closing the door in front of her slightly. "We paid what we could from our debts last week, we promise, we will get the rest of the money soon."

The Doctor looked at Amy with a disheartened look.

"We're not debt collectors. We came to talk to you about Tobias." Amy said.

Matilda froze slightly. Suddenly her expressions became frantic, and she seemed to fail to maintain a steady voice. "Why? I thought it was...done."

"We're just new around here and heard you two were engaged at the time. We thought we might be able to provide fresh perspectives, find out who was behind it." Amy said, trying to compromise.

There was a long pause. Matilda stared at the two, and off into the distance, for several moments.

"I guess I'll look guilty if I don't let you in." She said at last, opening the door up for the both of them.

The Black family seemed to keep an impeccably clean and admirable house given their clear financial position. Modest to say the least, but the main living area, complete with several chairs and a table, connected to a large kitchen. Amy was surprised to see this planet's version of an oven was little more than a fire in a stone casing; whether this was due to the family's money, or was standard for everyone was hard to tell. The Doctor happily made himself at home in the largest seat, bouncing on it slightly, and Amy sat opposite him. Matilda brought a large decanter of green liquid in from the kitchen, and offered some to her guests. The Doctor happily gulped it down and Amy warily tasted it. Much to her relief it tasted faintly of strawberries.

In spite of her welcoming the two in, Matilda still seemed to maintain a guard, sitting on the edge of her seat, and often looking out of the window.

"I don't know how much use I can be to you. Tobias and I had been dating for about a year, he proposed, his family suggested having a party and then..." She trailed off, looking around herself even more frantically.

"It must've been hard." Amy said, more as a natural response than anything.

"I've moved on. It's fine." She responded. Amy and the Doctor both knew she was lying.

"Were you the one to find him?" The Doctor asked, perhaps prodding at her weak point.

"Uh, yeah. We'd gone outside for some air. Next thing I know, he's in that weird bubble thing. I tried to drag him out but it was like moving through tar. Luckily, I managed to get his napkin with the song on out. I kinda like to think he wrote it for me. Selfish, I know but...now it's just used as some horrible reminder of his death."

"By the Stones?"

"Yeah."

"Not on good terms?"

"Naturally, they think it was me. They think I tried to kill him for his money. It's what happens when you have a family without a trace of love in sight." She gritted her teeth.

"How did you meet though? I mean, no offence but you seem to be two very different people, socially at least." Amy asked.

"At a Cavalgar tournament. My family had finally raised enough money for tickets, so we went. I remember, Tobias was actually quite awful," She laughed to herself. "I bumped in to him afterwards, and it kinda went from there."

"Cavalgar?" Amy asked.

"It's likes jousting, but in the air, on floating horses." The Doctor interjected. Amy nodded at the absurdity.

"But I still don't quite understand how you actually met. He's like royalty; surely you didn't just sidle on up to him?" Amy seemed to have developed an investigative bone. The Doctor was both surprised and concerned.

"I dunno, we, uh, we just met." Matilda instantly seemed awkward.

"Huh." Amy remarked, knowing she'd hit something.

Matilda seemed to stare daggers back at her. "I think my family will be back soon." She hinted.

"Uh, about that," The Doctor started. "You see, Tobias was...trapped, if you will. And now his captors have come back to collect him. Unfortunately, they're taking everyone else _but_ him for the time being..." He trailed off.

Matilda stared at him in utter confusion. The Doctor got up and knelt down in front of her, taking her hand and looking her in the eye. "Matilda, that's why we need to get to the bottom of this matter now, before it's too late. If there's anything you're keeping from us, anything you think we should know, please, now's the time to say it."

Matilda continued to stare. After a while she simply got up, and opened the front door. Amy and the Doctor followed close behind her. They all walked out into silence. The market was empty; no one seemed to be walking around, or to-ing and fro-ing. Matilda hugged herself in response.

"Why is she aware of all this?" Amy whispered.

"She clearly became exposed to more time energy than most people. No doubt sticking her hand in the bubble. Or..."

"Or?"

"Or she just spent a long time near him. Saying goodbye."


	6. Chapter 6

"I can get you past the guards at the door but after that it's up to you. Not that I want to go in anyway." Matilda said.

The Doctor had talked her in to getting himself and Amy inside the castle, in order to quiz Tobias' parents. While naturally a heavily secured place, the former fiancée of a once future leader still had some sway in this land. When they arrived at the castle, the Doctor allowed Matilda to do the talking. She seemed to know the guards well, treating them as people, which was more than likely a welcome courtesy. They stared at the Doctor for a while before nodding to say they could go in.

"You're allowed ten minutes, maximum. If either the lord or lady should get upset, you'll be hauled out. Got it?" The guard said, his face slightly too close to the Doctor's.

"Of course. Ten minutes. Enough time to overthrow the kingdom, right Amy?" The Doctor nudged her jokingly. She simply shook her head.

"He does this. Just ignore him." She said, walking in to the hallway.

As she did so, she was immediately taken by surprise by the immediate drop in temperature. She clutched herself, and the Doctor pulled his hands up inside his jacket.

"How is it colder indoors than it was outside? It's a beautiful day out there." Amy said, looking at the rays falling through the windows.

"I don't think visitors are common around here. Or welcome." The Doctor said.

He led the way through into the stairwell. They'd been told the Stones would be in their drawing room, up on the highest floor of the castle. The staircase was partly holographic, since the previous one had begun to decay. The Doctor called it an unnecessary extravagance; a simple way for the family to boast about their wealth. Amy just found the process of stepping onto invisible steps several feet in the air unnerving.

When they eventually reached the top floor, a guard saw them in to the drawing room. It was a beautifully extravagant room, rich with reds and golds. Only a few pictures hung from the walls; one of which was of the Stone family, including Tobias, looking suitably snobbish. There was a bookcase full of ageing pieces, next to which stood a large telescope pointed at a wall. A holographic fire continuously 'burned' in the corner, which Amy suspected didn't help with the temperature, and a dangerously large chandelier that hovered from the ceiling. There was only one window in the room, next to which was a desk, where Miriam Stone was currently sitting. Her husband Albert sat in a large seat, pointed at a right angle to her. They both looked up as Amy and the Doctor entered the room, and went over to greet them.

Miriam seemed to be ageing as gracefully as possible. Her long dark hair, with grey seeping slightly through, was neatly balanced into a bun on her head. Her dress was a rich sapphire, and she suited it perfectly. Albert didn't seem to share his wife's concern for image. His hair was white and balding at the back. He wore a cravat along with a brown waistcoat and cream jacket. They all shook hands, Amy half-curtseying to everyone's confusion, including her own. Albert showed them to some uncomfortably posh seats around the fake fire.

"So, you're out-of-towners? Not often we get visitors in this part of the world." Albert said his voice slightly incomprehensible over the sheer amount of aristocracy in it.

"We just stumbled our way here. Beautiful area though." The Doctor said, attempting to peer out of the one window.

"Well, it's been part of our family's heritage. My great-great-grandfather won it in a Cavalgar tournament off of the Townends. We've kept a watchful eye over it ever since."

"So, you're not royalty, so much as groundskeepers?" Amy said. She instantly sensed she'd spoken out of turn.

"Just because I'm not queen doesn't make me any less important, girl. I'm still the **Lady** of this little area. That carries some gravitas, I'll have you know." Miriam said, taking her reading glasses off and staring at Amy in a slightly authoritative manner.

"Can I ask; why is there a telescope over at that side of the room, if the window is over there?" The Doctor said out of deep curiosity.

Albert sighed as if he'd been asked this question far too often. He slid open a panel on a table next to him, and pressed on of the buttons. The whole of the back wall, next to the bookcase, seemed to pull apart, revealing a stunning view out onto the town below.

"So you're stargazers?" The Doctor asked.

"We do have a love for it. A beautifully endless piece of art." Miriam said, smiling for the first time.

Albert pressed the button again and the wall reverted. "Why are you two here then?" He said gruffly.

"We wanted to know more about your son." The Doctor said, cutting to the point.

In what seemed to be a common theme for the day, everyone instantly appeared to clam up and look uncomfortable. Miriam poured herself a large drink and sipped at it.

"Why." She said simply.

"Surely you want to know who did it." The Doctor asked

"We already do; it was that blasted girlfriend of his. That little tramp wanted nothing but his money; we warned him, you know." Albert said, wildly waving an arm in the general direction of her house.

"But is that actually based on anything? It's slightly unfair to accuse someone of murder if you have no evidence." Amy said.

"She was the one who took him outside in the first place. And yet she's never told anyone why. Can't think of an excuse good enough, I imagine." Miriam said, taking a large gulp of her drink.

"That still doesn't prove anything." The Doctor said, raising his voice slightly.

"So if not her then who, Doctor? Us, you think we killed our own son?" Miriam retorted.

"Well it seems like you'd do anything to get Matilda out of his and your own life. Maybe you anticipated the fall wouldn't be enough to kill him, but you could still frame Miriam for it? Or maybe it was your other son, who's boxed away like an old memory you'd rather forget."

Albert and Miriam snorted at the Doctor's ludicrous ideas.

"Why now Doctor? Why do you think you of all people can solve this after all these years?" Albert said.

"Because I know I can solve it. And have you not seen your townsfolk recently? They're disappearing right underneath you. There are aliens coming to collect your son, and once he's gone, that's it; he's forgotten by you all. I'm trying to give you closure, can't you see that?" The Doctor said at rapid speed.

Miriam gave a casual gaze out of the window. "There do seem to be less people milling around." She said, with the concern of someone who had lost a pen.

"You know, of all the things I've seen over the years; all of the people I've met and places I've been to, nothing bugs me more than people not caring. And you two certainly don't give a damn over just about anything. Even your own children." The Doctor stood up, not even looking at the two as he stormed out. Amy quickly followed behind.


	7. Chapter 7

"That went well." Amy said, taking sitting down next to the Doctor. He had perched himself on the outside edge of the fountain in the courtyard. Both the guards had vanished by now, taken by the time imps, Amy suspected. The Doctor barely looked up as she sat beside him, his head balanced on his clasped hands, deep in thought.

"They have an ever-lasting memory, an actual physical representation of the death of their son right outside their own doorstep and neither of them seems to care. They're so wrapped up in status and wealth it just..." The Doctor gave up mid sentence through annoyance.

Amy nodded then thought for a moment. "You know, maybe it's their way of dealing with it. This guy that they beloved, their own son, is just stuck down there, and neither of them can do anything about it. With all this power and control it's the one thing they can't fix. And everyone has to see it, day in, day out. You can't expect them to still be grieving four years later, can you?"

"I dunno." The Doctor shrugged.

"I know you carry everything on your back. All the burdens, and the heartache, and stuff. But you don't let it bother you, right? That's why we're here in the first place; you love the adventure. You love to do good. Now, granted, sitting atop their tower, looking down on everyone else, those two aren't really coping in the same way but...they had to move on, because otherwise the pain would've eaten them away." Amy said, looking the Doctor in the eyes, trying to connect.

The Doctor didn't respond. The trickle of the fountain behind them made everything feel peaceful, even if the air was slightly uncomfortable.

"How long do you think we've got?" Amy asked.

"Maybe another few hours, before the day ends at least. I expect they'll have collected everyone, including Tobias, by then. The suns are setting now, so it won't be long. I can't hear a soul anywhere near anymore." The Doctor said, looking around slightly.

"And then what? Tobias is taken, everyone is placed back, and no one remembers a thing?"

The Doctor nodded. "You know, the strange thing is, this is actually a fairly common occurrence around here. The time imps originated from a planet not too far, so this is often their first port of call. Something like this could've happened hundreds of times before, and no one would be the wiser."

"Seriously? Their whole timeline could be changed several times over and nothing would happen?" Amy was a little bemused.

"I think they're aware of it on some level. I mean, they must know of it happening in other towns and countries on the planet, because they're not directly connected so their memories aren't wiped. So, thinking about it, they must be aware of these bubbles previously cropping up. Maybe this was just another occurrence for them. Like someone getting hit by a car or falling off a bike. This just happens to be an extended amount of time before they're made to forget." The Doctor seemed to brighten slightly, in having somewhat rationalised the Stones' behaviour.

"Do you suspect those two?" Amy asked.

"I suspect everyone right now. It's clear they loved him; the sheer number of family portraits with him in, that still remain hanging in full display indicates that much. But why push him then? Unless they really didn't think the fall could kill him. But that's too much of a risk." The Doctor scratched his head.

Amy was silent in thought for a moment. That last few rays of the suns were burning out, and strange noises, of what sounded like tropical birds, resonated around the nearby trees. Everything seemed tired and worn out and defeated.

"What would you do if that was your son, Doctor?" Amy asked out of nowhere. "I mean, obviously you would've found out the culprit in a day but...how would you cope?" She didn't really look at him, merely speaking aloud as if asking a wise old master a philosophical question.

The Doctor seemed to toy with the idea before saying: "I don't think I would cope."

"Neither would I," Amy said, kicking her legs back and forth. "I mean, naturally I don't know what parenthood's like, but if it was Rory or..." She trailed off.

"Oh Amy Pond," The Doctor said, looking off to the distance. "You'd cope."


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor rocked to and fro on his feet, waving his arms back and forth at the same time. He found this helped him think. He'd sent Amy to go collect Matilda and Anthony- even though shouting would've probably have been just as effective now, given that they were practically the only ones left in town. He'd also called down the Stones who, predictably, were taking their time, no doubt overly-readying themselves for the non-event. It was up to the Doctor to solve this case; to find the murderer. Put the whole mess to bed. And yet he hadn't got a clue. None of them stood out as obvious culprits, all had their own motives and none seemed to give anything away in their demeanour. The Doctor wished he was doing this the day after the murder rather than four years later, when people were bound to have changed, and the murderer had become more inconspicuous. But there was definitely something sparking in the back of the old man's mind. Something didn't quite add up, and no doubt was the key to solving the whole case. Naturally the Doctor struggled to grasp just what that thing was.

Amy soon arrived back, Anthony and Matilda in tow, neither looking at the other and both looking fairly disgruntled. There was an eerie silence as they met with the Doctor, and as the Stones' came out of the castle; it almost felt like a Western-style showdown. The Doctor wasn't really sure what to say, seeing as saying 'Hello' seemed unsuitable for the context, and he didn't have enough ground to accuse any of them. So, as ever, he decided to waffle.

"It's good that everyone's here, together, in one place-"

"Why, have you solved the case?" Anthony interjected before the Doctor had time to act like he was in charge.

"Well...in one way you could say that, yes..."

"So, who was it? Or shall we just get this harlot a jail cell ready?" Miriam said, looking at Matilda scornfully.

"Well-"

"Excuse me? You know, I've spent four years with your petty remarks and spiteful comments, all based on what? You can't wish me into being the murderer." Matilda retorted.

"We don't have to, my dear; you laid your cards on the table the moment you met Tobias. We saw through you then and we still can now." Albert said.

"He's lucky he wouldn't have had to put up with you for too long. He was just a big moneybag to you." Miriam added.

"Quite quick to blame, aren't you two? Desperate to see her blamed no matter what." Anthony piped in. Matilda seemed a little taken aback that he was fighting her corner, but he made a good point.

"You're accusing your own flesh and blood? You know how much we cared for your brother." Albert replied.

"Too right I do. Mother mollycoddled him to the point of suffocation and you, Father, were conspiring against him."

All eyes turned to Albert.

"Boy." He warned.

"I don't understand." Miriam said, looking between her son and husband.

"Well, a week before Tobias was pushed, my dear old pops approached me, offering the chance to stop Tobias reaching the throne once Dad had snuffed it. He claimed I was the better ruler; much more in line with his idea of leadership. I ignored the old fool, but never thought he'd go to such lengths." Anthony seemed to bask in the joy of letting this revelation out.

"And why did you never mention this before?" Matilda asked.

"Because he threatened to have me exiled if I did. But look now Dad; **we** are the ones in exile." Anthony declared, raising his arms and drawing attention to the now deserted town.

"So it was you?" Matilda asked Albert, a mix of horror and sadness in her voice.

"Of course it wasn't, you stupid girl. This proves nothing." Miriam said, protecting her husband in spite of the obvious amount of pain the revelation had had.

"Yes, I didn't think Tobias was suitable to rule. But I didn't intend to kill him, merely have him taken out of the country until I died and Anthony had succeeded me. Please believe me, love." Albert said, almost begging towards Miriam.

Matilda moved closer to Albert, taunting the old man. "If it wasn't for you, we'd be happy and in love and my family-" She stopped herself mid-sentence and moved back.

"And your family...?" Amy asked, finally managing to get a word in.

"I..I...just meant..."

"Oh, I see; you intended to marry my brother in order to get your family out of the slums! Genius!" Anthony said, once again enjoying the drama.

Matilda still seemed incapable of speech.

"You see! She was the one! She only wanted his money," Miriam said, pointing her finger directly in Matilda's face. Matilda looked devastated. Just as tears emerged from her eyes she ran away from the group. "Proof, if it were ever needed." Miriam said, sighing.

Everyone stood quietly for a while. Then they all slowly turned to the Doctor. Through all of this he hadn't said a word, but merely observed them, as if conducting an experiment. He looked up in thought and smiled to himself. Then he walked off, in pursuit of Matilda.

"Come along Pond." He said simply.


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor and Amy caught up with Matilda on the bridge. She was leant against the side wall, tears streaming down her face. Amy went up and put an arm on her shoulder.

"Are you OK?" She asked.

Matilda nodded and wiped the tears away. "You probably both think they were right now, don't you? That I was only in it for the money." She looked at them both.

"Well, what did you mean then?" Amy asked.

"You know earlier, when you said it was suspicious that I just happened to bump into Tobias? You were right. I was...gunning for him, if you will. I charmed the guards and pretty much wormed my way in."

"I grew up in that little house you saw. So did my mum. And her mum. And...I just didn't want that for us all. I know it was stupid and selfish but you have to believe me; I did it for them more than for myself. I thought if I could just charm Tobias into offering us some better accommodation, or even just a few coins to spruce up the place, they'd all be so grateful. Then I had to go and fall in love with him." She laughed to herself.

"Perhaps you see why Tobias' parents were so protective over him then? Even though your intentions weren't as evil as they made out, they still had reason to be somewhat wary of you or, for that matter, any woman that came into his life. A handsome young rich heir? Easily snapped up, I'd say." The Doctor said.

"Yea. That's why I put up with their abuse for so long; because I knew, in part, it was true what they were saying. They didn't say it in the nicest way, but they had the right idea." Matilda said. She looked down solemnly.

"But...it's obvious to any fool that you loved him." The Doctor said with a smile.

Matilda smiled back.

The suns had set by now, and the glow of the illuminating stars made her face seem angelic. The Doctor and Amy both knew she was innocent.

"On that night, by the way, our engagement night; there was a reason I brought him outside and then left him. No one knows because it was a big secret and...kinda ironic I guess," Matilda said. Amy and the Doctor both stared at one another in confusion.

"A few days before the day we got engaged, Tobias had found out he had an illness. A...really, really bad illness. He was dying," She seemed slightly choked, and took the time to compose herself.

"He only told me, and he said he wanted to get married as soon as possible, to make our love eternal. But he knew his parents were still suspicious of me, and that they'd want to draw the engagement out for as long as possible. That's why, with the last of my money, I went and bought a teleporter. I hid it back there, in the woods next to the castle. I planned to take him out of the party, surprise him with it, and then transport us to some far off place where we could get married in peace. Unfortunately, he didn't see where I went, so ended up here and..." She trailed off as she looked down on her love.

"You can't feel guilty for having caused this. Whoever did it clearly wanted him out of the picture, no matter what. If it wasn't then, it would've been some other time." Amy said.

"Yea, probably. And, like I said, in an ironic fashion now he can never die." Matilda said wistfully.

There was a peacefulness in the air as the Doctor walked around to the other side of Matilda, leant on the wall, and looked out to the stars.

"Beautiful night." Matilda said quietly.

"Yeah." The Doctor agreed.

Then he stopped and stood up straight, still staring off to the distance. Amy looked up at him in confusion.

"What...?" She asked.

"I just..." The Doctor trailed off, and began tapping at something invisibly in the air, and nodding his head to a beat. "Matilda, you know the note you managed to get from inside the time bubble? Do you still have it somewhere?"

"Yea, I keep it in my bedroom. Why?"

"Do you think you could go get it? Now?"

Matilda confusedly looked at him, but nodded and headed off home.

"Be quick." The Doctor called after her.

"What's going on?" Amy asked.

"Yes, what is going on Doctor?" Anthony asked. He and his parents had walked up beside the two.

The Doctor smiled. "That little spark, right at the back, deep in my mind finally burst into flames. I solved the case. I know who did it."


	10. Chapter 10

"Well, who...and how the heck did you solve it, actually?" Amy asked.

"Let's wait until Matilda gets back. She both deserves to know and will hold vital evidence."

"Stop speaking like you're in a cop show." Amy reprimanded.

After a little while of uncomfortable silence, Matilda came jogging back, and handed the Doctor a frame containing the napkin. It had several pen marks arranged in an orderly fashion. The Doctor smiled when he saw it.

"You see, it's with this note and with this," He pointed at Matilda's head. "That I came to the conclusion that the person who pushed Tobias was you...Miriam Stone." He pointed a finger in the shocked woman's face.

Everyone seemed slightly taken aback, as if this was a damming accusation even without a plausible explanation. The Doctor suddenly became concerned that he had reached an incorrect judgement, but thought he should go with it and call her bluff if nothing else.

"Don't be so stupid Doctor. What reason would I ever have to push my own son? You have no basis." She retorted, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective manner.

"Up until ten minutes ago I would've agreed with you, but suddenly everything came together. You see this," He held up the framed note. "This wasn't Tobias' composition. It was your jottings of a constellation. Look."

The Doctor held up the note, alongside the night sky. Although some positions had changed, and the picture wasn't quite to scale, it was clear the stars mostly matched the dots on the page.

"I suspect on the night of Tobias' murder, you were out on this bridge. You spotted a brand new constellation that neither you, nor your husband had seen from high up in your castle. And so, you hastily scribbled it down. Unfortunately, due to gravity or a rogue gust of wind, you dropped the note directly into the time bubble. When you went to collect it, you realised what you'd stumbled upon; you'd heard about these things in far off lands, their strange physics and the way time stopped inside them. So eventually, when people found the note alongside Tobias, you fobbed it off as a composition, since the markings vaguely matched the pattern of notes, and ironically called it 'Symphony of a Knight'. Even though I'm sure you intended 'night' in the starry sun-less evening sense."

Everyone looked off into the distance, the cogs whirring and the pieces clicking into place.

"That's why you asked me to alter it; because it didn't actually sound anything like a melody before. You said it was probably because he was being absent-minded. But...how could you?" Anthony said a true sense of shock in his voice.

"Now this brings me to my second point; I hope Matilda doesn't mind me telling you gentleman this, but sadly Tobias was dying. He had an illness and wasn't long for this world. Now, Matilda thinks it was only her that knew, but I suspect you were also told, correct Miriam?" The Doctor asked. She turned away.

"I suspected a boy with so much love from his mother would want to let her know. And something you said earlier confirmed as much; you said 'He's lucky he wouldn't have had to put up with you for too long.'. I didn't really think about it at the time, but now looking back it was a clear slip of the tongue; he'd told you he was going to die. And once you'd seen that time moment at the bottom of the bridge, your mind went into overload. A way to save your son from dying, and stop him marrying someone you considered unsuitable."

"So you pushed him off to...save him?" Amy asked, trying to get her head around the idea.

Miriam was silently sobbing. "I'm so sorry Albert, please-"

She turned to where he once stood but he had gone. As had Anthony.

"The time imps have taken them. And they'll be here for you, Matilda, and then Tobias as well soon. But at least this matter can be put to bed." The Doctor said solemnly.

"Doctor, I-" Miriam started

"Don't." He said sternly. He turned his back to her and hugged a weeping Matilda.

"I...I did it out of love. Because I didn't want to see my son die. Not my own son. To have to bury him in the ground and never see his face again I...Doctor.." Miriam stopped and gritted her teeth slightly. "No, Matilda, I'm sorry. So sorry."

Matilda opened her eyes and looked over the Doctor's shoulder, but as she did Miriam disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Doctor looked around and let Matilda go.

"It's over." The Doctor said. Matilda nodded.

She looked down over the bridge. Tobias still seemed at peace. His bubble began to agitate slightly.

"Have they come for him?" Matilda asked.

"Yes. They'll take him away. But...please try hold on to his memory."

Matilda looked up to him in confusion. "I...won't remember him?" She asked.

The Doctor struggled for words, thinking of a way to put it nicely. Matilda thought for a moment, then shook her head and stood up on the side of the bridge.

"No, Matilda, don't!" Amy called, trying to grab her. The Doctor held her back.

Matilda took a breath in and closed her eyes. "For Tobias." She said simply, before falling forwards. The air sped past her, catching her flowing dress and ruffling it as if she and the wind were one and the same.

Amy pushed the Doctor off and looked over. She saw Matilda had landed squarely above Tobias, his arms ever so slightly cradling her. And then, they were gone.

"Why did you do that? Why didn't you stop her?" Amy asked, looking back at the Doctor.

"Would you have wanted me to stop you?" The Doctor asked.

Amy didn't answer. She looked around the deserted town. Gone was the air of mystery and unease. Instead, replaced by calm and peace. She took a deep breath in.

"Let's go." She said.


End file.
